Conflicting Forge Threads Combined

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dbreeze225

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Sep 12, 2014
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ok so i have read that you can line a forge with koawool or ceramic wool.....this is where this question gets stupid (probilly) could you line a forge with ceramic tiles? obviously not one but if you stacked a few so it made a thick layer.??
 
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I don't believe so, the tiles are so dense they would not insulate very well. That's just my thought on it. Idk. Someone will weigh in with a more in depth answer I imagine.
 
It's sounds like a legitimate question to me. Ceramic tile does have good heat resistance properties but the refractory ability might not be so great because of the density as stated above. I would imagine that it would have a tendency to crack from the heat because of how brittle they are. Also I am unsure how the glazing or pattern coating would be effected by or effect the process. The only sure way to tell is heat one up and see what happens, using proper safety precautions of course. I would tend to think that a more porous type of tile like terra cotta might lend it's self better to refraction. All that being said, my opinion is worth virtually nothing, lol. I'd be interested to see what the results of a test would be. Is there a reason why you wouldn't be able to get your hands on some ceramic fiber material or some fire brick?
 
thanks zachsiler....i cannot find any "soft" fire bricks around me only the hard ones that go on a fireplace....i guess i could order some but i was trying to find stuff locally...today i got some of the fireplace bricks and some refractory cement i am going to see if i can get something going with that
 
i am going to try and arange the hard fire bricks in the shape of a rectangular box rather than cutting in half and drilling a big hole through them. i dont know what size they are off the top of my head but i think they are a lil small for that when i tried to visualize it the hole would be right to the edge. but it should still work right.
 
ok so i have a piece of old air duct steel it is NOT galvenized and is a lil thicker than normal duct steel it is use in comercial buildings.so...if i took that poped 2 holes in the side for 2 torches to fit. put a thick layer of refractory cement. used a fireplace brick inside on the botom for the steel to sit on. and lite very quick forge. if it would work idk what do you guys think
 
Dbreeze,
When I was researching forges, my best source of information was Youtube. There you will find out how to make anything from a coffee can forge or a single brick forge, all the way through different Venturi and forced air forges. Once you see what you like, fits your needs and budget, go for it!
 
yeh i actuly just watched a video where they made a forge out of a soup can. now this might be slightly to small for what i want. diamater would be ok but i need more length maybe i can stick 2 togather or i was thinking large coffee can. however on my first post i was thinking of using this duct and lining it with refractory cement however you can only make that so thick or it wont cure right (from what i have read) in this video the guy used plaster of paris and sand to make the lining. got me thinking can i add sand to the cement?hmmm well let me know what ya think guys...i had a tooth pulled today and it hurts so i am done for tonight
 
Look up Metal Fume Fever. Galvanized steel emits dangerous fumes when heated/welded.

Mike L.
 
-mike.....yeh i know it does but the galvanized part is only in the outer layer so it is possible to burn all of it off in one shot out side (and not standing right next to it) so that way future use will not emit these fumes
 
Is it galvanized or not? In the first post you said it was not...now you say you can burn it off???

Most any cylindrical objet can be used as a forge shell. Many well built forged don't get hot enough on the outside to burn the paint off, much less burn off galvanizing. Galvanized will be OK if the insulation is sufficient, but if another non-galvanized tube can be found, that would be a beter material. Considering the multitude of FSOs ( forge shaped objects) that are to be found, there seems no reason to use galvanized.
 
People fail to understand the principal behind a forge lining. It is a thick layer of insulation, with a thin layer of refractory. If you just use hard fire brick, tiles, castable refractory, etc. it will suck up all the heat and the whole thing would have to get glowing before you could forge or do HT.

A 1" or 2" layer of inswool or equivalent insulation wool is the standard outer layer. The inside refractory is usually 1/4" to 1/2" of satanite. Soft firebricks are sometimes used, but it rarely is worth the trouble, as the wool is far easier to use.Hard fire brick is only used for the floor, and is set on the inswool.
 
I have plenty of 8" pipe/tube in different thicknesses. If you are local to Columbia, SC I'd offer one to you. If not, run down to the local scrap... I mean salvage yard and pick up a 12" length of 6" to 10" diameter pipe. It would be in your best interest to use something thicker than high gauge (thin) sheet metal.

The first forge I made used an old 5 gallon steel can. Welding an input pipe was difficult for me. Two years later I acquired a length of 8" 304 tube from a work site and that forge is still intact today.

I fully understand trying to do things with what you have on hand but investing time and a little more money and you'd have something that will last until you retire or give it away.
 
"........I fully understand trying to do things with what you have on hand but investing time and a little more money and you'd have something that will last until you retire or give it away. "


There is great truth and value in this. Saving a few dollars and throwing it away in a year or less is not nearly as smart as spending a few dollars and keeping the result forever.

In the "you can make almost anything into a forge" category - It has been years since I saw a photo of this build, but a fellow in Mexico wrapped batting from a water heater around a roll of cardboard. He wrapped chicken wire around the outside. He made a mound of dirt outside his open air shop and set it on that. He then covered it all with several inches of clay, and finally pulled out the cardboard and lined it with something similar to adobe clay. He made a really cobbled together burner and ran it from a propane tank. It looked sort of like a bread oven.
 
ok so yeh sorry i might of been a lil confusing last night i was in alot of pain with my tooth. I think i might of actually confused my self. anyway...... i have 2 pieces of this duct both are a lil thicker than lets say the standard you would buy in home depot. I got it from my uncle it is really made for heavy duty commercial applications. 1 of them is galvanized the other is not. The one that is not galvanized is just a lil scrap piece that is very short. Maybe a lil 2 short. Thats why i was thinking about using the galvanized one. I didnt mean to burn off the galvanized when it is in the actual forge. I was going to try and burn it off before hand. Ok all that being said i have watched a bunch of videos. I found one where this guy made a small forge and used plaster of paris and sand (50-50 mix he said the sand prevents the plaster from cracking all to shit) as a insulation. Then i seen another video same size forge but he used plaster of paris and pearlite (idk what the ratio but from what i can see there is alot more pearlite than plaster). He said the pearlite is very good insulation. So i was thinking why not do both and mix the plaster and sand so it wont crack that much and then mix some pearlite for the insulation factor. And also i plan on putting a layer of refractory cement over the top of that. What dose every one think about this sound good or am i just mixing to much and should just do one or the other? any one ever tried something similar? I am about to walk out the door to go do something for my father so i am going to pick these ingreadients up as they are pritty cheap and see how it works.
 
so i have been reading and watching alot of video and i came across some info that everyone seems to have a different opinion on. So for a small circular shaped forge (using 2 handheld torches) what would the correct angle be to have the burners going in? I know that you dont want it pointed straight at the other wall and you want a angle to avoid hot spots and "swirl" the flame. however i have seen and read that some people say it should be pointed slightly upwards from a 90 degree angle so the flame hits the top and swirls down and some people say point it down so it hits the bottom and swirls up. I would think if it was pointed down that you would get hot spots on the steel but then again heat rises so pointing down might help with that idk. Whats every one think
 
What point it enters at isn't really important. What is important is that it enters at the tangent to the chamber. Tis directs the flame along the walls and makes it swirl. The burner(s) should be angled forward about 15 degrees. The normal location of the burner on a small forge is 25% forward or the rear end. There is rarely need for two burners on any forge smaller than 12-14".

In a recent discussion, we have talked about bringing the burner in at the 3:00 position instead of the usual 12:00 position. Tis carries the flame farther around the walls before it meets the floor and blade.

Two plumbers torches will work ( to some degree), but a simple venturi burner run from a propane tank will be far better and much cheaper. Charles at Atlas Forge sells 30K BTU burners with hose and regulator very reasonably. they are designed for small forges, and work well.
http://www.atlasknife.com/atlas-30k-burner.

It would be a really good idea to post your drawings and plans before starting on your forge build.
 
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